View full sizeDarin Matthews of Pascagoula brings the No. 10 Bama Boring and Contracting Chevrolet into the pits during practice for the ARCA-Mobile 200 at Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, Ala., on Friday, March 8, 2013. (Mark Inabinett/minabinett@al.com)

IRVINGTON, Alabama - Just one look was all it took for Darin Matthews to go from spectator at the ARCA-Mobile 200 to competitor in the race at Mobile International Speedway.

"After I seen it last year, I said, 'That's something I want to do,'" Matthews said. "It's on my bucket list now."

The Pascagoula resident can cross it off today when he drives the Matthews Motorsports' No. 10 Bama Boring and Contracting Chevrolet in the race. It'll be his debut in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

"It'll be my first ARCA race, and this was my second time ever to drive the car," Matthews said after Friday's practice and qualifying sessions.

While Matthews will be new to ARCA, he's no stranger at Mobile International Speedway. He's been racing at the Irvington oval since 1995, driving super stocks, modifieds and late models.

"I hope it makes a big difference in the race," Matthews said of his experience.

He'll roll off from the 22nd position today and has two main goals for the race: "To finish like I started all in one piece and to have a good time."

View full sizeDarin Matthews, right, checks out the No. 10 Bama Boring and Contracting Chevrolet during a break in practice for the ARCA-Mobile 200 at Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, Ala., on Friday, March 8, 2013. (Mark Inabinett/minabinett@al.com)

Matthews can tick off many differences between the ARCA car and the ones that he usually drives, starting with the horsepower and the weight. But there's also something different about today's race.

"The longest race I've ever raced is 100 laps," Matthews said. "I'm anxious to see how I look after a 200-lap race."

Matthews, 45, works at Chevron's Pascagoula refinery. So does most of his crew in the family-and-friends racing venture.

The crew includes Phil Goudreault, Clay Black, Greg Goff, Greg Fleming, Michael Sanford and Charlie Ferguson, plus Matthews' wife, Cayce Matthews, who had to sign off on the whole thing.